Folding bed guard



Feb- 26, 1952 J. B. DES RocHERs FOLDING BED GUARD 2 SHEETS-*SHEET l Filed 000. 25, 1948 lo,IA

m1,@ c l Feb. 26, 1952 J. B. DES RocHERs 2,587,291

FOLDING BED GUARD Filed OCT.. 25, 1948 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 C j? l i l- Jedockews INVENTOR BY l//l l a ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 26, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDING BED GUARD Jean B. Des Rochers, Kerrville, Tex.

Application October 25, 1948, Serial No. 56,414

3 Claims.

This invention relates to folding bed guards. More particularly, the invention has reference to bed guards adapted to serve as attachments for conventional beds to protect the occupant of the Lbed from falling therefrom.

By Way of background, it may be noted that bed guards are useful under many circumstances. For example, all children go through a period of transition during which they are changed over,so tc speak, from cribs to the conventional bed having unguarded sides. small, the tendency to fall from the bed still exists, and accordingly, Widespread use is made cf beds equipped with side guards, and commonly known as youth beds. However,v in many instances, parents do not desire to incur the special expense .of purchasing a bed of this type, and hence, there is need of a removable bed' guard that can be attached to any conventional bed, and in such manner as to be removed Whenever delsired,v or collapsed out of sight.

Other important uses of an attachment of the character described may also be noted, as for example, certain types of patients require guards. An example of these can be noted among the chronic invalids, restless convalescents, and delirious patients. Many other uses of such attachments can also be enumerated, and it is accordingly the main purpose of the present invention to provide a bed guard which is attachable to' a conventional bed; is readily secured to or removed from the bed; is readily collapsed out of sight, so asvnot to interfere with the normal appearance offthe bed when not occupied; and is readily extended to its upright operative position.

Another important object is to provide a bed guard of the character described that can be readily Vfabricated from inexpensive materials, will be portable, and simple in operation.

,With the foregoing and other objects in view whichwill appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of. parts, hereinafter more ,'[fully described and pointed out in the claims,-jitbeing understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts Without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a bed guard constructed in accordance with the invention, said guard being illustrated in operative position mounted upon a bed, portions of the bed being broken away.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, the bed guard being shown collapsed.

Since the child is still quite' Figure 3 is a detail section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a transverse section throughV the side frame member of the bed, illustrating a clamp whereby the bed guard is secured to the bed.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of said clamp.

Figure 6 is a front elevation of the clamp.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of one of the clamp members.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a cooperating clamp member.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary transverse section through a side frame member of another form of bed, illustrating the means for mounting the attachment on said other form.

Figure 10 is a front elevation of the mounting means of Fig. 9.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 5 is a side frame member of a bed, said side frame member being of angle iron material, this being` a common form of construction used for a great many beds, as for example hospital beds and folding steel cots.

Supported on the bed frame is the conventional spring 6, which in turn supports the conventional mattress l.

Referring now to the bed guard, this embodies two or more supporting bars 8, three being illustrated in the present instance. These are readily fashioned from at bar material, and are adapted to support the longitudinal guard members 9. Extended transversely between the longitudinal guard members 9 are the cross bars Il). The members 8, 9, and l0 are all secured together pivotally by means of a pivotal connection including the rivets Il and the washer I2 that is interposed between the connected members as best shown in Fig. 3. Thus, by the use of these pivotal connections throughout the assembly, the bed guard is adapted to collapse as best illustrated in Fig. 2. When so collapsed, it has its highest point disposed well below the upper surface of the mattress l, so that it is invisible, and it will be readily noted that since the highest point of the bed guard is disposed even below the level of the upper surface of the spring 5, no difficulty will be experienced in making the bed, and after the bed is made, the spread covering the bed can cover the bed guard also, so as to make the arrangement entirely invisible during the daytime or other occasions when the bed is not occupied by the person to be protected.

Formed in the respective uprights 8 adjacent their lower ends are the longitudinal closed slots s I3, through which extend the pivot bolts I4, that are secured against removal by means of of which has formed in it the opening through which the bolt I9 passes.

The lower end of the bolt I9 extends through longitudinal slot 22 formed in the clamping bar.

23, and wing nut 24 holds all the parts assembled and tightly clamped to the side frame member.

Extended laterally from the lower end of the clamp member I1 are the two lip members 25 spaced to define the open ended slot 26, and

received in slot 26 is the neck 2I of a fiat tongue -28, having the opening 29 into which is adapted to be removably inserted the finger 30 extended from the lower end of the supporting bar 8.

Assuming that the clamps have all been secured to the side frame member of a bed, it becomes apparent that the bed guard is brought to an upright operative position simply by grasping any of the component members thereof,

whereupon the entire assembly is pivoted on the .bolts I4 and elevated, this elevation being permitted by the slots I3. Then, it is necessary only to allow the fingers 30 to drop into the openings 2,9, whereupon the bed guard is securely held in its upright position. When being raised or lowered, it does not interfere with any of the bed clothes, as can readily be noted, and can be used for various types of beds including hospital beds having means for adjusting one end of the bed upwardly.

For collapsing the bed guard, it is necessary only to lift the bed guard to a sufiicient extent to permit the fingers 3U to clear the openings 29, whereupon the bed can be collapsed to the position illustrated in Fig. 2, in which position it is `below the upper or body-supporting surface of the bed, does not interfere with the making of the bed, and is invisible and out of the way to Aall practical purposes.

With respect to the securing or removal of the clamps, it may be noted and this is readily ac.- complished by removal of wing nut 24, whereupon the fiat clamping bar 23 is permitted to swing downwardly for ready removal of the clamp from the side frame member 5. The reverse operation permits securing of the clamp to said side frame member.

Referring now to Figs. 9 and 10, I have here i illustrated a mounting means whereby the bed guard can be secured to a bed having wooden side boards. In this instance, there can be screwed into the side board 3I, in vertically spaced alignment, the lag screw 32 and screw eye 33. Lag screw 32 provides a pivot bolt for the supporting bar 8, corresponding to the pivot bolt I4 of the first form, while the screw eye 33 is adapted to receive the ringer 30 depending from the lower end of thesupporting bar. It may be readily observed that in this from also, the operation of raising or lowering the bed guard is quite simple.

What is claimed is:

1. A folding bed guard including spaced supporting bars, longitudinal guard members pivotally connected thereto for collapsing of the supporting bars and guard members longitudinally of a bed, clamps removably connectable to a side frame member of a bed, and means pivotally connecting the supporting bars to the clamps, said clamps being individually adapted forl iixed connection to a single side frame member of the bedandV having openings disposed below said means, the supporting bars including depending fingers receivable in the openings in the vertical position of said supporting bars.

2. A folding bed guard including a plurality of supportingbars spaced apart and adapted to extend vertically yabove a side of a bed, longitudinal guard members pivotally connected to the supporting bars, said supporting bars and guard members adapted for collapsing longitudinally of a bed, clamp means removably connectable to a single side frame member of a bed, and a pivot element extending from the clamp means, the supporting bars being respectively provided with longitudinal slots through which said pivot element extends, said clamp means including at their lower ends tongues having openings, each supporting bar having at its lower end a finger receivablein the opening of a tongue for releasably holding the supporting bars in a vertical position.

3. A folding bed guard including a plurality of spaced supporting bars normally vertically disposed and extended above a side ofA a bed, longitudinal guard members pivotally connected to the supporting bars, cross bars extending between the guard members and pivotally connected to the guard members. said cross bars, guard members, and supporting bars adapted for collapsing longitudinally of a bed and below the level of the body-supporting surface of said bed, clamps adapted, for adjustable and removable connection to a side frame member of avbed, said clampsv having openings formed therein, pivot elements extended from the clamps,n the supporting` bars having. longitudinal slots through which said pivot elements extend, said supporting bars being fulcrumed on said pivot elements, and fingers extending from the lower ends of the supporting bars and removably inserted inthe openings of the clamps.

JEAN B. DES ROCHERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 416,102 Hannahs Nov. 26,y 1889 1,295,483 Haas r Feb. 25, 19,19

1,840,259 Schmohl V Jan. 5, 1932 

